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suite

Hi,

What does "suite" mean in this context? I look it up in the dictionary. But I am still not sure what it means in this context. It means “in our room" or "furniture” ？

Thanks for your help.

Student 1: I ran into a problem when I tried to register by telephone. I got a message that said I had an outstanding charge on my account that needed to be paid before I could complete my registration.
Student 2: What does that mean?
S.1: I'm not sure. A recorded voice just said I had to go to the Students Accounts Office.
S.2: Do you have any idea what it could be about?
S.1: The only thing I can think of is last quarter my roommate broke the shower door in our suite, and maybe they billed me by mistake.
S.2: Oh, I will bet that's expensive. You'd better go to the accounting office and try to clear it up.
S.1: Yeah, and I'd better make sure my roommate pays for the damage. I do need to register for next quarter.

Re: suite

We use "suite" as a synomym for apartment sometimes. especially in addresses: 123 Main Street, Suite 100. It comes from the older expression of a "suite of rooms" - a suite meaning a collection (a suite of furniture, for example, also called a "bedroom suite" if displayed in a furniture store).

En suite is French for "in succession; in a series" but we use it here to mean "in the suite / in the room" especially when we wish to describe a bathroom as being immediately accessible from the bedroom without going into the hall: it's described as en suite (and no, the bath or toilet are not actually in the bedroom, but rather immediately adjacent).

Re: suite

Originally Posted by jlinger

We use "suite" as a synomym for apartment sometimes. especially in addresses: 123 Main Street, Suite 100. It comes from the older expression of a "suite of rooms" - a suite meaning a collection (a suite of furniture, for example, also called a "bedroom suite" if displayed in a furniture store).

En suite is French for "in succession; in a series" but we use it here to mean "in the suite / in the room" especially when we wish to describe a bathroom as being immediately accessible from the bedroom without going into the hall: it's described as en suite (and no, the bath or toilet are not actually in the bedroom, but rather immediately adjacent).

Hi, jlinger,

Thanks for your kind help.

Yes, that is just I wondered. So, what is your opinion? That is just what I do not understand. Does the Student 1 mean "The only thing I can think of is last quarter my roommate broke the shower door in our room / apartment. " Or " The only thing I can think of is last quarter my roommate broke the shower door in our bathroom suite / the set of furnitures in the bathroom." ?

Re: suite

Hi, jlinger,

I have been thinking about this word "suite" in this context. I think maybe what Student 1 says means "in our room", more specifically, maybe he refers to " in our dormitory". Because if he means "the bathroom furnitures", then he would say "The only thing I can think of is last quarter my roommate broke the shower door of our suite".

Re: suite

I think it means in our apartment. Maybe they had rooms in residence (dormitory) that had a bathroom included, and he broke the shower door in their "suite" of (two) rooms.

If it was a shower shared by others, outside his room, I think he would have said, "broke the shower door in our dorm" or "on our floor" or such.

I don't tend to think of college residence rooms as having a private bathroom, but rather a shared bath down the hall. I suppose, therefore, if I did have such a room, with bath, that I would call it "my suite" rather than "my room." And I certainly wouldn't say that someone broke the shower door "in my room" as that is a very odd place for a shower. Meanwhile, since it's only one room and a private bath attached, it's too small to call an "apartment" - which should have at least a kitchen as well.